how do i change my avatar in the firestorm viewer? the SL viewer doesn't work for me

[TrebleWolf]

the firestorm viewer looks different and is way more confusing. how do i change/customize my avatar using firestorm?

[sven Homewood]

Why do you use it, when it is confusing you? I suggest to join their help group. Easy to do, there should be a button for that at help. Or search for 'Firestorm Support English' or the language you prefer. Also visit their wiki. http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/ Also, don't use a viewer because they say 'it's the best', other viewers may suit you better. Inform yourself here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Third_Party_Viewer_Directory

[Lindal Kidd]

Just the same way you do with the SL viewer.

To put on different clothes, open your inventory (the suitcase button or CTRL+I), find the item, right click it and Wear or Add it.

To change your shape, right click your avatar, select Appearance/Edit Shape.

To change to any of the complete starter avatars, find them in inventory in Library/Clothing.  Drag an avatar's folder onto your avatar, or right click it and choose Replace Outfit.

If you don't see buttons for the shortcuts you normally use, right click any button and select Toolbar Buttons to see a list of all the available buttons.  Drag any one you want from the buttons window to an edge of the screen.

There is great information on the Firestorm web page, and an in world support group you can join to get instant live help, and in world classes you can take, too.

[Syo Emerald]

One simple trick: The Firestorm viewer offers you multiple choices of pre set interfaces, which you can select before you log in. One of them is close to the official viewer.

[Nalates Urriah]

There are different types of avatars in SL. There are new the starter avatars, which we call mesh bodies or just mesh avatars. There are also the older avatars which we call classic avatars. The classic avatar skeleton and skin are the base avatar. To use a new mesh body the skin of the classic avatar is hidden using alpha layers.

Clothes and skin made for the classic avatar apply a texture/image to the mesh surface that makes up the skin of the classic avatar, which we usually just refer to as the system (original) skin. We call these clothes and skins system clothes or skin. You can think of them as like decals.

If you use GIMP or Photoshop you are familiar with layers. In the classic avatar the skin is the bottom layer. On top of that we composite the tattoo, undershirt, shirt, and jacket layers. We can also wear ‘attachments’ on top of all those layers.

Over those ‘system’ layers the new style mesh avatar places a new mesh surface. The two surfaces are so close to the same position we generally hide the classic surface used for the classic avatar with Alpha Layers, so the classic skin and clothes don't show when it pokes through the surface of the new style mesh avatar surface - which it does as the avatar moves. It’s a basic limitation of modeling and animating in all 3D worlds that surfaces conflict. Note, this hiding also hides the system clothes applied to the classic skin.

The viewer always applies system skin, tats, shirt, etc. to the system or classic avatar’s surface. This is why when you wear a new style mesh avatar and make changes to system clothes you see no change. The change happened on the classic avatar skin/surface, which is HIDDEN UNDER the new style mesh skin/surface.

Special skins and clothes are needed for use with the newer style mesh avatars. With mesh clothes another mesh surface is placed over both the classic and new style mesh skins. A rigged mesh top should fit over both skins. A rigged mesh jacket will be another surface that fits over all the surfaces below/inside it.

We use 'Appliers' (a HUD that usually comes with a skin or other attachment) to place textures/images on the new surface that makes up the mesh avatar skin or clothing. We must composite the skin and clothes we want to put on the new style avatar skin ourselves. But, it is intended that we use new style mesh clothes with the new style mesh avatar body. So, in general we only place skin on the new mesh skin.

Unfortunately, skins made for the classic avatar generally won't work with the new mesh avatar skin. The skin makers are modifying classic skins they made to work with Appliers they build, which put the skins on the new mesh avatars.

Mesh clothes can be used with the new mesh avatars and classic avatars. System clothes can only be used with the system/classic avatar.

If all this seem unnecessarily complicated... you're sort of right and the thinking is understandable. But, the necessity for it comes from the Lab's habit of making all new things as backward compatible as possible. Classic avatars came first. We are now in a transition to newer things. We expect these complications to be removed in the coming SL2.